Introduction to IIIF in the Arts and Humanities – working with digital image collections and archives

IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework) has been taken up as a global standard for viewing and sharing high quality images. It offers a means not only of standardising digital resources (books, archives, art) in libraries, galleries and museums, but also of innovatively and creatively re-purposing these materials for research, teaching and dissemination.

This workshop, held jointly by the Digital Creativity and Cultures Hub (DCCH) and Pedagogic Research in the Arts (PRIA), offers the opportunity for staff to learn more about the pedagogic potential of IIIF. The possibilities for teaching and assessment include, but are not limited to:

• Create new digital composites of archival material, digitally reuniting and reconstructing cultural heritage that are physically held in different repositories;
• Digitally manipulating images to enhance them and bring out new information;
• Examining digital resources in close detail and annotating, embedding and re-contextualising them;
• Digital story telling using bespoke tools;
• Curation of digital archives and exhibitions.

The in-person workshop will consist of guided examples through the world of IIIF. No previous experience is required, and light refreshments will be provided.

At the end of the session we will reflect on the potential pedagogic possibilities of IIF and discuss future plans (including potential pedagogic research activities).

If you would like to attend this event please register here (UoL login required).

Queries about the workshop can be directed to Cassie Ulph (Digital Development Manager, DCCH): C.R.Ulph@leeds.ac.uk.

If you would like to know more about PRIA, please join – if you haven’t already – our TEAM - PRIA | General | Microsoft Teams.

The IIIF format is central to the current Digital Libraries Infrastructure Project (DLIP) which aims to make Leeds’s rich cultural collections more widely accessible, reusable and interoperable. In June 2025, the University of Leeds will host the annual IIIF Conference, showcasing innovative applications across the education and cultural sectors.